Muffins and Magic
by aminmela
Summary: *SPOILERS* Set during the events of Avengers: Infinity War, what if Loki didn't actually die? What if he escaped Thanos, and is hiding on Earth? First person POV, slow burn LokixFemale OC This is my first fanfic, and I have no beta. So please leave a review, I love to write and will take any opportunity to improve my skills.
1. Chapter 1

Today was not a day for sunshine. I wasn't depressed enough to take the apartment directly above the bakery when I first moved here, but close enough. I wanted to hide from the world, and being able to walk to work in the dark every day was the best thing for me.

The snow was glorious in the pre-dawn light, but even as I hugged my coat tighter around myself, I knew those creeping rays of light were leading to a sunny day.

Contrary to my roots, and to the ideals of everyone else in this middle-of-nowhere Scottish town, I dreaded the sun. It made the snow melt, it made me carry my soft coat and snug little scarf home instead of wearing them like a hug. The sun was my worst nightmare, and today it would shine bright and yellow, getting warmer as the day dragged on.

I huffed and pushed the back door open, it was unlocked as Eoin, the head chef, was already here. He always arrived an hour earlier than myself as he liked to make the dough from scratch each day. I was lazy, but I was also in charge of the cupcakes and other délicatesse, which required an hour or two of mixing at most.

I gave the brightening sky one last glare before shutting myself in and hanging up my puffy coat and gloves, I kicked my kit bag against the wall and then apologised to it. Shaking my head, I mumbled a greeting towards the oven as I donned the apron and hat. Eoin chuckled as I stalked into the prep area, struggling with the ties behind my back.

"What's go' yer hair all up?"

I shook my head and smiled, "Nothing, don't mind me."

Eoin shrugged and continued kneading the sizeable lump of dough before him. "Did you hear about the new guy?" He asked innocently.

I kept my back on him, finally giving up on the blasted ties, and just tucking them into the back of my jeans. Some days I just had to admit defeat and get on with it. I cleared my throat softly and bent to gather the mixing apparatus.

"Er, yeah, is that today?"

I ignored the playful snort directed at me, "Yes, and mind you play nice, he is only here to help."

"Sure, sure." I muttered, moving out of the bright prep area, round the corner to the walk-in refrigerator where my ingredients were kept.

I kept on muttering to myself as I piled everything into my arms, it's not that I was unfriendly, I just seemed to rub people the wrong way. 'Stranger danger' being the eternal song played on repeat in my head.

My hands were full, I shuffled carefully out of the fridge and had to kick the door closed on the way out. As I turned to make my way carefully back, I bumped into someone, hard.

I exhaled in surprise, and then jumped back and dropped half my things. The person before me was no one I knew, scraggly dark hair, icy blue eyes set against much too pale skin. Annoyance crossed his features and I called for Eoin before he could move.

Eoin presented an intimidating, if slightly humorous sight, as all 6'3 of him came barrelling forth, powder streaming and rolling pin in hand.

"What is it- Oh?" I relaxed slightly as his demeanour shifted from intimidation to welcome. "Ailey, ye scared me lass!"

I shifted between them, slightly discouraged by the way stranger had flicked a glance at Eoin and immediately dismissed him, despite his obviously threatening entrance. He stood there expectantly, and Eoin took his hair net off to offer the stranger a handshake.

"We weren't expecting you so early son, I'm Eoin, and this is Ailey."

The stranger immediately brightened, offering Eoin a smile, "Eoin, Ailey," he offered me the smile, but I took too long to react so he turned back to Eoin, "My name is Lathan."

"You are very welcome Lathan, please come through, seein' as yer here ye may as well get acquainted with things."

Lathan glanced at me one more time, then smoothly bent down and picked up everything I had dropped, before turning away and following Eoin.

My hands were slightly freer, but I turned and gave the fridge a swift kick, to make sure it was closed of course, and returned to my working space. Where the treacherous ingredients were waiting, neatly stacked in their appropriate order. I frowned at them silently, and then brushed off the encounter and began my preparations. The familiar routine soon had me relaxing, and I forgot to feel embarrassed about being rude and clumsy.

Today, being the sunny catastrophe it was destined to be, I made giant pretzels, and sticky koeksisters for the more optimistic folk to enjoy as they sat outside. The syrup was being stubborn, and sat in a bowl by the side for me to deal with later. My hands were full of the stuff and there was no longer any way for me to avoid crossing the room to where Eoin and the new comer chatted freely by the sink.

Eoin smiled as I came over, and the new comer looked up. I quickly looked away, kicking myself for getting off to such an awkward start with him, and being too socially inept to fix the problem-that-was-not-actually-a-problem.

I turned the tap on with my elbow, grateful for the easy twist-handle so I could avoid interrupting their conversation to ask for help, and cleaned away all traces of the annoying syrup. As I turned the tap off, I realised the silence was weighted. I looked up and saw both the gentlemen looking at me expectantly.

"I'm sorry?" I said, having missed a question for sure.

Lathan smiled and said, "I was just asking if you are alright?"

I blushed and looked at my sneakers, "Yes, thank you." Eoin's eyes sparkled and I frowned at him. Lathan was still watching me, so I amended, "It was just… all sticky, needed to wash my fingers. And hands, uhm," I peeked up, as I expected Lathan looked a tad confused, Eoin was ready to burst a seam. I rolled my eyes, blushed some more and cursed my awkwardness. "I need to…" I gestured to my work station and trailed off, "Ah, yeah, cupcakes."

As I walked away I dried my hands on my apron, which of course untucked the silly ties from the back where they were holding down the fort. I slowed my steps so I could focus on tying the damned things back up before I had to make more mess with the syrup. I was met with some success, and could brush off the barely concealed laughter coming from Eoin as he continued telling Lathan about our day to day duties.

I cracked and separated some eggs. As I beat the egg whites, I mumbled to myself. Why on earth we needed another 'helping hand' was beyond me. This was a tiny little coffee shop, in a tiny little town, we had one waitress, one cash keeper (who only came at noon after my shift ended) and one baker (Eoin). Even I was an excessive hire, just because I could bake a half decent croissant once in a while did not excuse it.

But Eoin had a soft heart, and plenty of money. He opened the store with his early retirement money, and kept it going because let's face it, there is nothing better than fresh bread and hot milo on a cold winter's day. He was constantly hiring these troubled youths to help "keep the place tidy" until they were back on their feet and he could dust his own work station again.

Lathan was a mystery, kind of like myself. Clearly not young enough to be a high school drop out looking to pad their CV, and not old enough to be looking at settling down in an easy going job-on-the-side. He was about my age, I could guess, early to mid-twenties. Maybe he was a convict, out on parole? He certainly had the right amount of mischief crinkled in the corners of his eyes to be some sort of crook, or trouble maker.

"Excuse me?"

I just about jumped out my skin as a soft voice sought to catch my attention. I dropped the bowl with a thud and a fleck of white fluff landed on my cheek. I clutched my heart and then chuckled, embarrassed.

"Oh, Lathan, you startled me."

His eyes twinkled, definitely mischief, "My apologies."

I huffed a little unsteadily, wiped my cheek, and picked up the bowl again. "What can I do for you?" I asked and began to beat the egg whites.

"Well, I have finished speaking with Eoin and he has informed me of my duties, which it would appear I am too early to perform."

I tested the peaks on the whites and then carried on beating, "Well, yes, the others don't normally get here until eight."

He chuckled, "As I have been told, however, since I am already here, I was wondering if you needed any help?"

I paused, "Well, uhm, I'm actually nearly done with these, and then there is just the icing and garnish. So, no, not really."

I tested the whites, they were ready. I looked around and located the bowl of mix, as I reached for it Lathan's hands shot out and fetched it for me. I smiled, "Thanks."

As I folded the mixture I pondered the strange individual hovering in my work space. I hated having to think of small talk, clearly I was an awkward individual so did he really have to make matters worse. Couldn't he go stand… anywhere else?

"Am I bothering you?" His quiet voice was full of mirth.

I started pouring the mixture into the little tins for baking, and frowned, "Not at all."

He chuckled and I rushed over to the oven to quickly put the cupcakes in, setting the timer carefully. I checked through the little glass windows and smiled, happy that everything was baking according to schedule. I turned around and froze.

"What do you think you are doing?"

He was leaning against the counter, looking every bit like a model from the pages of some cheesy magazine, casually licking mixture off his finger from my spoon. He glanced up innocently, "Just tasting the batter, it's very good." His eyes narrowed mischievously, and his lips pressed into a fine line, he tilted his head as he said it and I felt goose bumps raise all up and down my arms.

I narrowed my eyes in turn, his entire posture was teasing, testing me, waiting for my overreaction. Just as I was about to stomp my feet and chuck him out of my kitchen, the back door opened and Eoin came rushing in. The blast of cold air broke my fury, and Eoin laughed as he shook the snow from his hair.

"Well lass, ye were right to worry about the rays, but 'twas the wind ye failed ter warn me about!"

His excitement died down as he took in my thunderous expression, "What happened now?"

I glared towards the new guy, and my mouth popped open in shock, he had somehow, innocently, gathered every dirty utensil into a neat pile and looked halfway through a step towards taking them to the sink to wash up.

Eoin raised his eyebrows expectantly, and I popped my mouth closed and cleared my throat, "Nothing Eoin, I'll be back soon."

I wiped my hands on my apron and hurried to the door. As I passed Lathan, he shot me a cheeky wink and then smoothed his expression and carried on.

I collected my bag from the door and stepped outside, the sun was warm and soft on my skin. I cringed, it was nice of course, but the snow was already forming little rivers down the sides of the alley. It was only the very beginning of spring, not time yet for my beautiful snow to run away.

Eoin was right about the wind, as I stood there mourning the snow, a freezing breeze whistled up the alley and blew my hair about. I shivered and hurried quickly up the stairs at the side of the building.

After the early morning baking, Eoin let me use his shower upstairs to freshen up for the rest of the day. There was normally no need for me to get dirty mixing up batter again during the rest of the day, as everything sold out in a steady stream with few rush orders to clean out all the stock at once. On those rare occasions that a big order did come in, Eoin would set aside his chores and help me out. So I felt fairly safe as I changed into my favourite tights and boots, clothes that would attract flour like the plague if I had to mix again.

Stupidly, I let thoughts of Lathan creep into my head as I packed away my things, I mean, what was that guy's problem? By the time I returned downstairs, the timers for everything would be ready to go off, but I was too huffed up again to notice that the ovens were empty as I donned gloves and opened up the doors.

I turned around in shock and saw Lathan bent over my work space, icing cupcakes, I rushed over, irritation and horror clouding my judgement. My feet got all tangled up in themselves and I hurtled into Lathan like a hurricane instead of smoothly walking over and shoving him away from my hard work.

He cried out in surprise as I inadvertently tackled him off his stool and landed on him like a heffalump.

The oven mitts broke my fall of course, but he must have hurt himself, I sat up immediately and started babbling. "Oh, gods, I'm so sorry! Lathan, are you alright?"

He sat up too, his blue eyes wide with shock, but some other instinct kicked in, and soon I was being hurled around and slammed against the floor. I gasped and cried out, but there was a hand on my mouth and something cold pressed against my throat. All of this in a split second of course, because as I saw the recognition his eyes, shock, anger, and then finally shame settled on his features and he released me. He jumped back like I had electrocuted him, and I half sat up, propped by an elbow.

We stared at each other for a while, each breathing hard and trying to guess what the other was thinking.

He was breathless, "What- why did you attack me?"

I bit my lip, still a bit shaken to be snarky. "I didn't. I tripped."

He frowned, "You tripped?"

"Yes, I was mad, and I didn't watch my feet and I tripped." I suddenly remembered what happened and got my feet under myself. He mirrored my actions, and we stood together, something about the way he moved reminded me of a cat, or a snake. Cautious, but ready to strike. "I came downstairs, and… All my stuff was moved, I saw you there with the cakes, and after you irritated me earlier, with the whole spoon thing." He no longer looked so shook, but the caution was there, "I'm sorry." I said again, "I didn't mean to… I didn't… but what was that?"

His hands were still outstretched, to hold me at bay in case I attacked him again? But now they lowered, "What?"

I gestured to the floor where the stool was still lying, taking a brief moment to marvel that none of my baked goods had fallen. "That! You flipped me like a pancake and… Who are you, some kind of spy?"

He laughed, but it was forced, "That reaction," a muscle in his jaw jumped, and my nostrils flared,"was normal when one is tackled off a chair by a crazy lady."

I frowned, "Hey! Look I didn't mean to do it, I just got all… fine, I got crazy, but you touched my cupcakes! They aren't ready yet!" Sufficiently distracted, I rushed to the table and inspected the goods, they were perfect. He had removed them at exactly the right time it would seem. I was a tad confused, but it didn't slow me down, "Fine, they were ready, but still, you can't ice cupcakes when they are hot!" I touched one to prove my point, but it was cold, perfect for icing. Speechless, I let my hand fall to my side. Lathan was there already, he had picked up the stool and was standing by my side.

I stared at the pretzels, perfectly golden brown, delicious, and plated too. The koeksisters had been dipped in the treacherous syrup and looked glorious, the cupcakes were waiting to be iced, by icing I didn't make.

I was apparently sitting on the stool now, I looked up at him blankly. "Who are you?"

He smiled, the mischief back, as his joke took effect. "You're welcome." He bowed with a flourish and made off with the pretzels, to place outside on the counter where the customers would be waiting for them.

I sat and stared at nothing for a bit, until Eoin opened the door and stated with good natured irritation, "Alley, stop twiddling yer thumbs, there are customers waiting!"

I shook my head and picked up the closest cupcake, "Yes boss."

Eoin smiled and rubbed his hands together, "Is everything alright?"

I looked up, "Yeah, ah, hey Eoin, who is that guy. Lathan?"

Eoin frowned and came into the room properly, letting the door close behind him. "Lathan? He's a drifter, but he checked out, he's not a murderer or anything. Why, what did he do?"

I shook my head, "Nothing, I just… I have a strange vibe about him you know?"

Eoin crossed his arms and looked at me carefully, I could see the cogs turning in his mind as he thought about what to say to me. "Ye know, people said similar things about you when you first came here… All I'm saying is, give the boy a chance."

I smiled and nodded, "Alright, I promise I will try."

He chuckled and his serious demeanour vanished again, "Now hurry up, there are people startin' to come in already asking about yer cakes."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The rest of the day of course passed without incident, Lathan was a big hit with the regulars, charming his way easily through every conversation. When Shaun came to take over at noon, it was clear that Lathan had successfully won over all the employees too. I simply rolled my eyes and 'played nice' as Eoin had suggested.

I collected my standard cup of Milo and any stale leftovers from the day before, and politely declined to stay and share my lunch with the crew. They knew me well enough by now that I could blame my sluggish irritation on the sunshine, so I gave the generic excuse and ducked out through the kitchen door.

The sun was shining in full force by now, so I stuffed my warm clothes into the kit bag and slung it over my shoulders with a grumble. As I made my way down the road back to my little apartment, I realised I was quite enjoying the warmth of the rays on my skin. I sighed at myself, and rolled my shoulders to relieve the tension. This really was a beautiful little town, and I decided to cut through the park, which was a longer route time-wise, but would be really pretty with all the snow-melt.

There was a distinct lack of bird song as I trudged across the grass along the edge of the small lake, not unusual for this time of year, but something I decided I was looking forward to with the coming weather. As I got to my favourite tree, a darling old Hawthorn growing near the lake, I decided to sit down and enjoy the day for once.

This tree was a favourite of mine as it had a particularly gnarled branch that actually grew along the ground for a time before stretching up to join its brothers in the sky. I set my kit bag on the floor and settled into the nook by the base of the tree, stretching my legs comfortably on either side of the ground branch and leaning back against the damp, but comfortable trunk. My Milo had cooled down slightly, enough for me to take the lid of the container off and drink it without removing half my tongue as Shaun like to serve it.

The pastries lined up for me today were boring, just a slightly stale loaf of seed-bread and a muffin from two days ago. I broke up the seed loaf and chucked it onto the frozen ground, something would find it eventually. The muffin was chocolate chip, not the most exciting, but still one of my favourites. I picked at it while I stared at the frozen lake, the only sounds being the steady dripping of snow melting from the trees around me. It was peaceful, and quiet.

I watched the water drip off the end of a twig near my right foot, and the strangest thought entered my mind, one that had not tickled my fancy for decades. I wiped my hands on my pants and placed them together before me. My magic was weak, the only special thing about myself being my apparently extended lifespan, still, I liked to play around with it from time to time.

" _Veni foras_." I muttered, ignoring the uncomfortable tugging that came with conjuring after an extended period of disuse.

I felt a small wind, and when I opened my hands a tiny flower had formed. I smiled at the sight, I hadn't directed the spell in any specific way, and was delighted to find a crocus flower. A gift from my mother once upon a time, the flower of joy. I held it close to my chest, surprised at the sudden waves of emotion that flooded my mind. It had been a long time since I had thought of my old life, centuries ago when the world was a softer place.

I lingered beneath that tree much longer than I normally would have, nostalgia is dangerously distracting and before I knew it, it was getting dark. I placed the flower on the ground, it was very real, and suspiciously out of season but no-one would really know to question it out here. There was no one left alive for my kind to be worried about after all, I was just paranoid.

I gathered my things and made my way sheepishly back to my little apartment. I slept like the dead, and groaned groggily when my alarm sounded at 3.45am.

The morning after a solid gym session, one always feels a tad stiff. It is similar with magic. I felt tenderness inside my soul, and much like a gym session knew it would be better to 'stretch' again today. I shoved the thought aside, that was a dangerous road to go down again, and I still couldn't figure out why I felt the need to practice yesterday. It was a strange day indeed.

As I made my way to the store, I glared at the sky, it was going to be sunny again. Eoin and I were alone this morning, and he chatted happily with me about nothing while we worked on our preparations for the day. I decided to bake tarts, in honour of the continued 'good' weather, and put a reminder in my phone to take out some fresh cream to whip after my shower.

I put the tarts in to bake and made my way upstairs, the water felt wonderful, and I lingered beneath the stream longer than usual. As I was preparing to turn off the taps and get changed, the water suddenly turned to ice. I shrieked and leapt out of the way. I reached over and turned off the taps, then stood and stared at the offending shower nozzle for a while, trying to figure out what had happened.

When I finally got out the shower, I dressed in a rush, and left my kit bag under the cupboard. I would probably end up staying quite late today, it was pay weekend, and there would likely be a line of hungry patrons waiting to buy out the bread as it came from the oven. As I stepped out the bathroom, I ran my fingers through my slightly damp hair, and checked my phone to make sure the timer wasn't getting ready to remind me of the tarts.

 _That can't be right_ I thought in a daze. If the time was correct, then my tarts should be blackened and burning the kitchen to the ground by now. I shoved my phone in my pocket and all but sprinted down the stairs. There was no smell of smoke, but I feared the worst, right up until I burst into the kitchen and found Lathan calmly plating the pastries, as he had been the day before. I paused, unsure what to do, and caught Eoin's eye.

"What are ye doin' lass?"

I opened my mouth a few times, like a goldfish, and ended up waving my hands dismissively and storming over to my sequestered work station. Eoin shook his head and continued kneading the massive ball of dough before him.

I stopped short of tackling the poor boy off his chair this time however, and he smirked at my outraged expression.

"Good morning Ailey. Did you have a nice shower?" I opened my mouth to snark out some clever retort, and then noticed the overly ambitious twinkle in his eye. He couldn't have had something to do with the sudden icy shower water, could he?

I shook the paranoia from my head, and narrowed my eyes, "Good morning Lathan. I'll take over those if you don't mind."

He put on a very convincing mask of innocence, and jumped up obligingly. "Of course, I hope you don't mind, I saw they were ready and decided to take them out while you were… otherwise occupied."

I wasn't imagining it, the way he drawled those last few syllables. What an odd thing to say, and do if it was him. I started slamming tarts onto a plate, furious with myself for turning red so quickly. Lathan chuckled and dropped something onto the table beside me.

"Don't forget the cream." He said softly, and then disappeared through the doors to the restaurant with a tray of tarts balanced on each hand.

I stared at the bowl of whipped cream, and shook my head, attempting to return to my work with some semblance of sanity, but all the tarts were gone. I jumped to my feet, irritated and frankly quite confused. What game was this guy playing?

I checked the time, it was still too early for him to be working, and too early for the shop to be open just yet. I wasn't wearing my apron, so I didn't have anything to chuck on the floor dramatically as I made my exit, so I settled for knocking the stool over with my foot and head-butting the door instead. Eoin was used to my clumsiness, and didn't even lift his head, but Lathan certainly did as I stomped into the restaurant clutching my head.

He was equal parts amused and startled as I marched up to him and poked him in the chest. "What is your deal?"

His expression settled on amused and he took a step back to lean against the counter and cross his arms. "Whatever do you mean?"

I growled in irritation and poked him again, "You know exactly what I mean. All this… Rubbish!" A tiny speck of spittle flew from my lip and landed on his shirt. I didn't break my stride. "What is your game here, huh? Are you trying to make me lose my job, or something?"

His smirk deepened with each word, and he raised an eyebrow as I finished. "Your job? If anything darling, I am saving your job."

I growled again, "Nonsense! If it wasn't for your… tricks, then my pastries wouldn't need saving! I have worked here for years, and never served an overcooked muffin in my life! So just… Keep yourself to yourself and… Stay out of my way. Alright?" I was flustered, and not making much sense.

"Ooh, feeling a little… frosty today are we?"

Again, that knowing smirk, the absolute nerve of the man. He tilted his head, a smile building on his lips once more as he waited for me to snap. I balled my fists at my side, realisation dawning on me at last. He was provoking me, why exactly was anyone's guess, but now that I knew his game I could beat him.

I turned round, before I could do something rash, and stormed back into the kitchen. Eoin jumped slightly at my dramatic entrance, he raised one eyebrow in my direction, but wisely kept quiet. I apologised under my breath and set about cleaning my work space. The whipped cream needed to be put in a container to stay fresh for the day. I left it to the side, not ready quite yet to head through and put it in the fridge behind the counter. As I wiped the last of the crumbs into my little bin I cast a glance to the cream, wanting to make sure it had not started to melt, or condense onto the table yet. It was gone.

My hand hovered in the air near where it had been, and I pursed my lips. Exceptionally unobservant, or was the little prankster up to no good again? I glanced at the doors to the restaurant, they weren't moving to suggest someone had recently passed through. Not that that would mean much, if the boy was as good as I suspected.

I spent the remainder of the morning helping Eoin prepare batches of dough for the hordes of customers that came through with various orders. Lathan was… Irritatingly helpful. Hurrying back and forth delivering and collecting, he made sure all the customers were satisfied, never kept waiting to place an order as we rushed to get everything ready for evening collections, and the usual hustle and bustle of the restaurant continued in the background. By the end of the day, I had quite forgotten the events of the morning, and viewed Lathan with begrudging respect. Busy days never ran this smoothly.

Before I knew it, five o'clock had come. Eoin and I switched off the ovens for a final time, and stood together watching our hard work exit the store by the bag load. My face was coated in flour, my hair an absolute disaster, but even I couldn't help but laugh as Shaun chased the final customer out the front door and locked it behind her. I wiped my brow, further exacerbating the flour situation, and watched Lathan help Shaun pull down the shutters and tidy up the restaurant.

Eoin came through from the kitchen and tapped me gently on the shoulder.

"Here," he said, "I think we've earned it."

He had set a small tray of drinks on the table, I gladly took the steaming cup of Milo from him and smiled my thanks. I hadn't even noticed him leave.

"Come on you rascals." He called to Shaun and Lathan.

Marie, our waitress, had already left for the day, so it was just the four of us that sat down at a small table near the counter and shared the small reward from a long day together. Shaun had already turned off the lights inside, so it was nice and dim, only small rays of the setting sun poking through the curtains on occasion. Warm light filtered in from the kitchen as well, and I was lucky enough to sit next to Eoin with my back to the dying heat of the ovens.

We sat in companionable silence for a few moments, and then Shaun cleared his throat and turned to Lathan.

"So, Lathan, what is your story?"

My eyes bulged, "Shaun!"

He shrugged, "What, he doesn't have to tell us. I'm just curious."

Lathan chuckled and held up a hand, "It's alright Ailey," I frowned slightly at his casually familiar tone, and he continued. "I grew up quite a ways away from here, under a different sun you could say. I have a rather turbulent relationship with my adoptive siblings, after the death of our father, we… drifted apart. I came to Scotland because of the weather, I love the snow, I love the small town life." He turned to look at me as he said the next part, I caught his eye by accident as I had been looking down at my cup whilst he spoke. "I think I am going to be very happy here." I looked down again and fiddled with my cup.

Shaun whistled, he raised his coffee mug, and Eoin elbowed me until I did the same, "To new beginnings." I held my cup aloft and we all clicked the drinks in the middle.

I brought the cup to my lips, and found it was already empty. It is bad luck to have no drink during a toast, I frowned and shook my head.

"Well then," I stood and gathered my empty cup, "thank you for the company, but I think it's high time I retired. Eoin, do you mind if I run upstairs for a quick shower?"

Eoin nodded and stood too, "Of course lass, here let me take tha'" I muttered a thanks and handed him my cup. "It's getting' quite late, do ye want me ter give ye a ride home?"

I smiled and shook my head, "Nah, it's really not that far of a walk."

He was about to push the matter further when Lathan piped up, "Actually, I am headed that way too, if you don't mind the company?"

He sounded so polite, so normal, that I almost accepted. I shook my head, lips pressed tightly and mumbled, "Ah, no thanks, I still need to shower and I don't want to keep you. You guys go ahead, I really don't mind the walk."

Before anyone else could feign chivalry, I bolted through the kitchen doors and up the stairs to shower. The water behaved itself this time, and I descended the stairs in my fuzzy pyjamas and wellington's feeling a thousand percent better about the day.

I tucked my fingers into warm mittens, and was about to flick off the light switch and lock up when Lathan materialised before me.

I gasped and jumped back, "L-Lathan! Gah, you scared me."

He didn't even bother to smirk, and instead offered his arm like an old fashioned gentleman. "Mind if I accompany you on your walk home this evening."

I stared at him dumbly, and said quite rudely, though it wasn't my intent to do so, "Why?"

He chuckled, "Because it is dark out, and I don't think it's appropriate for a lady to walk home alone."

I huffed and rolled my eyes, "It's the twenty-first century. You can't say things like that anymore."

"None the less, I am heading out that way, please, just say yes."

I sighed, "Sure, I guess."

I eyed his arm suspiciously and opened the door, he shrugged and followed me out. I turned to lock up but he stopped me.

"Eoin asked me to leave the door unlocked, he hasn't had a key made for me yet."

"Why do you need a key?" I asked, as we started walking.

"He didn't tell you? I am boarding in his spare room until I get on my feet."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise, "Oh, no he didn't tell me." I looked down and crossed my arms, "Wait a minute, if you are staying here, then where are you going?"

"It doesn't matter does it?"

I stared at him for a while and then shrugged, "I guess not."

We fell into silence, and I cringed, despising his presence for ruining what could have been quite a pleasant walk home. Despite my long years, I had never really gotten the hang of society. I really disliked small talk, and once again he was lingering long after he should have, seemingly, just to make me squirm.

I peeked to my left where he walked, he looked so completely at ease, staring up at the clear sky in wonder. Small puffs of wintry breath frosted around his mouth, and I couldn't help thinking that he was rather a handsome specimen.

He seemed to sense my gaze, and looked down at me, "So what is your story miss Ailey?"

I looked ahead and shrugged again, "I don't really have one."

"But you are not from here?" He guessed.

"No." I answered simply, wishing he would go back to awkward silence.

He persisted, "How long have you lived here then?"

"A few years," I hedged.

"And you are happy here?" He asked.

I frowned, again with the familiarity, and considered ignoring him altogether. Eventually I sighed, "Yes, I am happy here."

He chuckled and I looked at him again, wondering what could possibly be amusing about my answer.

He saw me look and caught my eye, "You are a fascinating young woman Ailey."

I balked, what on earth gave him that idea? I realised we had stopped walking, and was shocked to find we were at the gates of my apartment complex.

He turned to me, "Well, this is where I leave you. Sweet dreams Ailey." He picked up my mitten covered hand, and pressed his lips briefly to the material.

Before I could respond, he turned and walked back the way we came. "I stared after him for the longest time. So many questions on my mind. Eventually the cold drove me inside.


End file.
